I have owned close to a dozen 78/79 Broncos in my time and have noticed that some have front coil spring heights of 13" installed while others have 15" springs installed. My question is, does anyone know the name that Ford gave to these trucks with the taller factory ride height? I've heard it called snow plow package but none of the 5 trucks I've owned with the taller springs have had any sort of ID on them to specify the package name for the taller height.

 

I don't believe they had badges on any of them. Only special badge I remember is Trailer special, and super trailer special. However, it could still be a factory/dealer option. You could order a buildsheet from Marti and see what it says for your truck.

 

No such thing as a "factory lift". Heavier or longer springs would have been employed for some reason OTHER than increased ride height. Option packages aren't/weren't always indicated outwardly. The tow package, heavy duty cooling, etc were not indicated with badging or even referenced other than to be listed on a build-sheet or order form. So its quite possible they were part of a factory option package but not one that was outwardly designated with insignia.

 

The bronco didnt come with a factory lift but there was three different model CODES.
U 150, U 151, and U 152. they all deal with G.V.W. the first is 4400 lbs second is 4600 lbs and the third code is for the HD package at 4900 lbs I'm not sure if this is the right answer but this is all I could come up with for you.

 

I know that there were no Broncos with any sort of special badging on the vehicles exterior for this, I was mainly refering to the posibility of there being some sort of ID in the owners manual or on the door post. I also know that it was not refered to as a factory lift as a package, I am talking about the springs themselves. Most stock 78-79 Bronco springs were 13" installed and if you make a vehicle taller you are lifting it thus a 15" installed height spring would infact lift the vehicle over the base stock height. I think were had a slight miscommunication.

 

Every 78/79 Bronco I have owned, regardless of the height of the coil springs, has said U150 on the VIN. code and had a 6100lb. G.V.W.R. This is why I am wondering if there is anywhere else on the truck(excluding the exterior) that says what spring package it has.

 

If I knew how to upload a picture I would but this is straight from a ford shop manual my grandpa gave me from a ford dealership from 78-79 that's the only indicator of different spring options as far as the manual says..

 

only difference I have ever heard of is with a/c or without a/c...apparently the a/c trucks have a stiffer spring.

 

I don't know if thats right. A/C would not require stiffer springs. I thought years ago that maybe the taller ride height front springs would be for Broncos with the 400 and heavier C6 tranny but the 351M is the same weight as the 400 and the extra weight of the auto tranny would not make the front sag since it's not over the front anyway.
Just a side note-I helped my friend put a 6.9 IDI in his 79 bronco a few years back and the stock 13 inch tall coil springs sagged too much with the extra almost 300lbs. of the diesel so we found a 78 Bronco with coil springs with a 15 inch installed height. Not only were the coils taller than his old ones, they hardly sagged at all with the extra weight. Point is that not only are the 15 inchers taller, they have a higher weight rating.

 

I'm unaware of a VIN designation or a door jamb tag to denote the difference in spring height but that really doesn't mean much except that its one more thing I don't know... yet. I don't have a 78-79 and never have (not that I'd turn one away if it wandered into the driveway). I'd say you are on to something that could use a bit of research. I don't know how many 78-79 owners would know the difference unless they had your experience with multiple units.

 

I wonder if it has anything to do with the quad shock or trailer special package? Mine is a trailer special with free wheeling stripes and clears 33"s no problem. It has the quad shocks. (also the radiator is for a 460 even though it has the 351m in it. It was built that way because it was stamped 11/78 when I changed it.) I had a friend that had one w/o quad shocks, non trailer special, but otherwise was almost identical to mine. It had the same stripes and paint although it would only clear 32" tires. Both were '79 Ranger XLT's. Mine has a 6400 lb gvwr. btw

 

I have 3 79 Bronco Ranger XLT's and all have 400's, two have C6's(other is the 435) and mine too have the quad front shocks but all of them are 6100lb. GVWR. They all clear 33's no problem. I have 35-12.5-15 General Grabbers on the one and they fit with some rubbing. I am going to put a 3" body lift on it to clear 36.5 Mudders. Still I have not ever seen a Bronco with a higher GVWR than 6100lbs. I wonder what is different about yours than mine since I too have the same springs it sounds?

 

Couldn't say other than mine is a trailer special, It has the big flip out mirrors, and a receiver hitch. The rear springs may be heavier idk, I'll have to go look at the door tag again. I just remembered the gvwr, and not rating of the front or back.

 

The quad shocks in later years were part of the tow/trailer package but not exclusive to it. You could get them as an ordered item. However, I'm not aware that the springs were any different with the addition of the auxiliary (forward) front shocks. I'd be interested to know what the unloaded length of the springs you guys are dealing with is, if they are the same diameter (coil and steel) as the rest and which, if any of the F-series trucks got the same set. I have no information to help unfortunately, but like the idea that there are potentially OEM springs out there that add ride height.

 

I don't know about the other Broncos and F150s but I have noticed that the 78/79 4x4 Ford trucks were of two different ride heights. There are those that you have to check to see if they have front hubs to tell if they're 4x4 because they have a lower ride height. Then there are those trucks with quad front shocks and taller springs that give the truck a taller ride height and you can tell right away from a distance that it's a 4x4. Like I said before, the shorter trucks have coils with an installed height of 13" and the taller trucks have 15" installed height coils. However I don't remember the uninstalled ride height of the taller coils but the shorter ones are 18.25".